Baroque architecture first emerged in Rome and then spread throughout Italy into Piedmont (Torino), Venice, Naples, Sicily and Lecce, with each location bringing to the movement unique architectural elements, sculptural styles and defining artists.

Baroque art and architecture draws the beholder into the action, eliciting an emotional response by creating movement and engaging the viewer.

Visitors are often surprised by the feelings they experience when they walk through to churches and palazzi created during the Baroque: walls and facades seem to undulate, architectural elements break out of their rigid forms and proportions, and statues and decorations become grotesque and fanciful.

Plan Your Travel Itinerary Using Approach Guides

Whether you are visiting multiple cities on your trip or focusing on a single city, traveling as a couple, with friends or with your children, our Approach Guide to the Italian Baroque will help guide your itinerary. See a map of cities profiled in our guide.

Half/Full-Day City Tour: Use this guide to plan a half-day or full-day tour of the most important Baroque structures in one city. You will gain intimate knowledge of the Baroque elements specific to that city and will naturally begin to make comparisons between the sites you visit during the tour and others during your trip.

Multi-City Tour: Experience the unique regional elements of the Baroque style by using our guide to identify one or two “must-see” sites in each city you visit. Not only will you gain an appreciation for the Baroque style in general, but you will be able to understand how each city fits into the development of Italy’s Baroque style.

Download a FREE PREVIEW (4 of 34 pages)

Price $9.99 (Format: PDF; available for immediate download)

Approach Guides to Baroque architecture in Italy includes detailed reviews of the following cities, which include many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (See our map of all of the cities profiled in this guide)

• Rome. Featured architects include Bernini, Borromini and Cortona; guide also features a detailed overview of the Vatican and St. Peter’s Cathedral.
• Piedmont. Featured city: Turin (Torino); featured architects include Guarini, Juvarra and Vittone
• Venice. Featured architect: Longhena
• Naples. Featured architects include Fanzago and Sanfelice
• Sicily. Featured cities include Noto, Ragusa and Catania
• Lecce.

All Approach Guides are offered as PDF files that can be downloaded and printed immediately after purchase.

Santa Croce Facade, Lecce, Italy